Puerto Rico pays off Clean Water Fund debt

Author: Guest Author

By: Alec Young Puerto Rico’s possibility of statehood is not a new topic nor is it such a priority for governmental leaders. Puerto Rico has been on the back burner for almost its whole life as a territory. In the recent political climate, Puerto Rican officials have repeatedly demanded answers from Congress or acted in the way of change but to no avail. With the recent devastation of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has scrambled to rebuild and get life back on track. Florida Representative Darren Soto recently unveiled a plan that would finally allow Puerto Rico to become a...

By William Cozens Senator of Guam Will Castro (R) recently met with Northern Mariana Island Representatives Luis John Castro (R) and Ivan Blanco (R) to discuss the lowering of airfares, and increasing of flights, between the Northern Mariana Islands and his territory. Guam is an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States in Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean; The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is also an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States consisting of 14 islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. “It’s time for us to come together,...

News outlets in America have relentlessly covered the incident involving actor Jussie Smollett and the alleged hate crime that took place in Chicago since the incident occurred in late January. Initial news of the crime garnered support for Smollett from various celebrities, and social and political influencers across the country wishing him a full recovery and a total stance against both homophobia and racism in all its forms. Since then, evidence has surfaced that suggested Smollett fabricated the entire event to cause controversy and solidify his place on the hit show, “Empire”. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) opened a...

By Enrique Vázquez Quintana, MD What is a “state of exception”? To begin, very few lawyers are familiar with the term and, so, most jurists keep the concept at arm’s length: there is a deafening silence about the very real state of exception. Marginally aware of – or totally disinterested in – the topic, they are ill-prepared to educate the public on the importance of an issue that affects our country as well as the rest of the US territories.* As opposed to dictatorial regimes, democracies are historically founded on the concept of three separate but equal powers: executive, legislative...

By Enrique Vazquez-Quintana, MD The principle of Judicial Review was introduced by Supreme Court Judge John Marshall in the 1803 case of Marbury v Madison. The Court in this case affirmed its judicial authority to eliminate laws that violate the US Constitution, a treaty or another essential law. The question follows: Does judicial review apply to court decisions that violate human rights guaranteed by the Constitution? Judge Marshall (1755-1835), arguably the most famous and prestigious among Supreme Court judges, was the fourth justice of that court and served for 34 years. Marbury v Madison, presided by Judge Marshall, was...